With the agenda of “lower taxes, less government, and more freedom,” FreedomWorks played a significant role as an early benefactor of the tea party movement. Its super PAC — which may legally raise and spend unlimited amounts of money — shares the political agenda of its parent organization but focuses on campaigning for or against congressional candidates. The group targets for defeat vulnerable Democrats in general elections and Republicans it sees as insufficiently conservative in primaries.

During the 2012 election cycle, FreedomWorks for America raised $23.5 million and spent $22.6 million. Early in the cycle, it spent $945,373 trying to deny GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah his party’s nomination. Hatch was forced into a primary after failing to secure enough votes at the state’s GOP convention to win the nomination outright. However, Hatch easily won the primary in June 2012 and retained his seat in the November general election. FreedomWorks for America also spent just under $2 million in support of Richard Mourdock, a tea party favorite, during the primary and general Senate elections in Indiana. Mourdock defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Richard Lugar in the primary, but lost in the general election.

FreedomWorks for America also used its funds in the general election against several Democratic incumbent senators, including Bill Nelson of Florida, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sherrod Brown of Ohio — all of whom won. It spent $2.2 million in an unsuccessful bid to defend Republican Joe Walsh’s House seat in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. Democrat Tammy Duckworth defeated Walsh, who was described by the Chicago Sun-Times as “a favorite of National Tea Party activists.”

Although the group never formally endorsed Mitt Romney, FreedomWorks for America spent $621,913 against President Obama in the 2012 presidential campaign.

It remains to be seen how active the super PAC will be in the 2014 campaign cycle. In its year-end report, FreedomWorks for America disclosed that in 2013 it spent nearly $1.1 million and raised about $850,000, ending the year with $600,000 in cash on hand. But the PAC spent more on legal fees (in excess of $300,000) than it did on independent expenditures (about $134,000) in support of or opposition to federal candidates, as reported on its mid-year and year-end reports.

The super PAC also has spent money to unseat five Democratic senators up for reelection in 2014: Mark Begich of Alaska, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. All five are considered vulnerable in the upcoming election.